A system for simultaneously interfacing multiple test instruments with
multiple processor cores includes an on-chip instrumentation, a probe,
and a connection mechanism for providing a transmission path between the
probe and the on-chip instrumentation. The on-chip instrumentation
includes an on-chip instrumentation concentrator and an on-chip
instrumentation de-concentrator. The probe includes a probe concentrator
and a probe de-concentrator. The probe concentrator concentrates signals
from the test instruments into a first serial signal stream for
transmission over the connector mechanism. The on-chip instrumentation
de-concentrator de-concentrates the first serial signal stream into
signals to be directed to at least one of the processor cores. The
on-chip instrumentation concentrator concentrates signals from the
processor cores into a second serial signal stream for transmission over
the connector mechanism. The probe de-concentrator de-concentrates the
second serial signal stream into signals to be directed to at least one
of the testing instruments. Using this system, the testing instruments
are able to simultaneously access and control respective processor cores.
In one preferred embodiment the plurality of signals are directed to the
processor cores using a plurality of loops, each loop having a chain of
nodes, each of the processor cores connected to a respective node.